India on Monday took the first steps towards developing a new class of ultra-modern weapons that can travel six times faster than the speed of sound (Mach 6) and penetrate any missile defense, with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). ) conducting a successful flight test of the hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) for the first time from a launch facility off the coast of Odisha.
Only the United States, Russia, and China have developed technologies to launch fast-maneuvering hypersonic missiles that fly at lower altitudes and are extremely difficult to track and intercept. Mach 6 translates to a speed of 7,408 km / h. 
India could develop hypersonic cruise missiles powered by air-breathing scramjet engines in about four years, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.
“The DRDO has successfully demonstrated hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the HSTDV flight test at 1103 hours from the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam launch complex on Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha on Monday,” the statement from the Defense Ministry said.
An improvement over ramjet technology, the scramjet engine runs efficiently at hypersonic speeds and enables supersonic combustion. Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds in excess of Mach 5.
Experts say these vehicles are launched with rockets before they break off and move toward their target in the upper atmosphere. They can be steered to add unpredictability in an attack, and because they follow a flat, low trajectory, they are difficult to spot early with radar.
“Congratulations to DRDO India for the successful flight of the hypersonic test demonstration vehicle today. The scramjet engine developed by our scientists helped the flight reach a speed 6 times the speed of sound! Very few countries have such capacity today, “tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor that took it to an altitude of 30 km, where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated by a hypersonic Mach number, according to the statement.
“The cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake was opened as planned. Hypersonic combustion was maintained and the cruise vehicle continued on its desired flight path at a speed of six times the speed of sound or nearly 2 km / second for more than 20 seconds, ”the statement said. The first test of the HSTDV in June 2019 did not meet the mission parameters.
Developing hypersonic missiles will require the cruise vehicle to travel at speeds in excess of Mach 6 for a few hundred seconds for the weapon to hit its target, a second official said, requesting anonymity.
“Critical events like fuel injection and scramjet automatic ignition demonstrated technological maturity. The scramjet engine functioned like a textbook, ”the statement said.
The launch and cruise vehicle parameters, including the scramjet engine, were monitored by multiple tracking radars, electro-optical systems and telemetry stations, with the engine running efficiently at high dynamic pressure and very high temperature, he added.
A warship was deployed to the Bay of Bengal to monitor the performance during the cruise phase of the hypersonic vehicle. All performance parameters indicated a “resounding success” for the mission, the statement said.
“This marks a technological advance for the country. The successful mission will allow us to develop many more critical technologies and pave the way for the development of hypersonic vehicles, ”DRDO head G Satheesh Reddy told HT.
The flight test has tested a number of critical technologies including aerodynamic setup for hypersonic maneuvers, use of scramjet propulsion for sustained ignition and combustion in hypersonic flow, thermo-structural characterization of high-temperature materials, and separation mechanism at hypersonic speeds, the ministry said. defense.
Since hypersonic vehicles are key to defeating missile defenses, the successful flight of the technology demonstration vehicle is a major milestone, said Deputy Air Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general of the Center for Energy Studies. Aerial
“This has taken some time to do and the challenge now is to make a time-limited transition to the prototype testing phase. China is far ahead in hypersonics and India cannot afford to lag behind, ”Bahadur said.
Dual-use hypersonic technology also has non-military applications: It can be used to launch satellites and develop commercial aircraft, experts said.
Defense Minister Rajnath, who spoke to scientists associated with the critical project, congratulated the DRDO on the “historic achievement” in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
“The DRDO today successfully flight tested the hypersonic technology demonstration vehicle using the scramjet propulsion system developed in the country. With this success, all critical technologies are now in place to advance to the next phase, ”the Defense Minister wrote on Twitter.
Reddy congratulated scientists, researchers and other personnel associated with the mission for their “determined and unwavering efforts” to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities.
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